Biosensors are devices to detect biological or chemical materials using a sensor system containing a biological component. NVE
has developed biosensor technology using its proprietary spintronic materials.

Some of the companys research has been under government contracts, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Bio-Magnetic Interfacing Concepts (BioMagnetICs)
program, which covers the use of nanoscale magnetics at the cellular molecular level.

Applications include ultra-miniature biological warfare agent detectors, clinical diagnostic instruments, and laboratory-on-a-chip diagnostic systems.
NVE biosensors have been independently
tested, and has announced a customer that plans to use the technology in a clinical diagnostic instrument.

How do spintronic biosensors work?

Several spintronic biosensor configurations have been identified. In the configuration illustrated
at right, a magnetic biological marker nano-bead adheres to the immobilization
surface when a targeted biological agent is present. The bead is separated
from a spintronic sensor by a passivation layer as thin as 10 nanometers.
The sensor uses either a Giant
Magnetoresistor (GMR) or a Spin-Dependent
Tunnel (SDT) Junction to detect a small perturbation in the magnetic field
caused by adhering beads.